Contemplating a road trip to a destination in Florida, but who have never,or not recently, done it? My credentials for offering information and suggestions are that for a number of years my family and I have regularly driven both ways- in the spring and again in the late fall.

From this you'll surmise that it suits us to go by road. Flying has some obvious attractions , but we've found there is a definite lure to travel without the need for reservations, tickets or haggling with car rental companies. Having one's own vehicle at the other end is a big cost reducer, to which I add the ability to load up the minivan with a surprising amount of stuff-including in my case three rangy hounds who hate being pushed into crates and confined in dark, threatening baggage holds.